The Film We Can't See

Original version

BBC Radio 4 Extra

The Film We Can't See Podcast

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

Factual: History

The Film We Can See Standard

Adam Zmith listens to some lost sound recordings from 1930.

Adam Zmith has found some lost sound recordings from 1930. As he listens to this archive of intriguing noises, he imagines a film that could have changed the world.

The Film We Can't See: 5.  For Sale: Intimacy and Infamy

5.  For Sale: Intimacy and Infamy

BBC Radio 4 Extra - The Film We Can't See, 5.  For Sale: Intimacy and Infamy

The project of imagining the lost film faces personal setbacks

The creative but awkward dynamic between Adam and Anton blows up. They are trying to collaborate, but the boundary between creativity and personal experiences breaks.

The creative but awkward dynamic between writer Adam Zmith and actor Anton Blake Horowitz blows up. They are trying to collaborate, but the boundary between creativity and personal experiences breaks. Wounded, Adam hears more about the history of censorship from film archivist So Mayer, who also reveals their own personal motivations for researching film and queer history.

Just as there is an exciting revelation about the classified fifth disc in the sound archive, the entire project looks threatened. The Rio Cinema, which wants to keep the sounds in community ownership, may have to give them up. The sounds may fall back into obscurity once again, so Adam begins to mobilise support for the Rio.

Credits

Written, produced and edited by Adam Zmith

With story by So Mayer and Adam Zmith

Starring Anton Blake Horowitz

Music by Courtney Pine

Assistant Producers – Tash Walker and Shivani Dave

Researcher — So Mayer

Audio consultant – David Pye

Artwork by Danny Crossley

Production Mentors – Caroline Steel and Andy King

Executive Producers – Khaliq Meer and Leanne Alie

Commissioned for BBC Sounds Audio Lab by Khaliq Meer

Thanks to

Aleks Kolkowski

Andrew Woodyatt and everyone at the Rio Cinema

Peninsula Press

The BFI and the BFI National Archive

Axel Kacoutié

Nikki Meadows

Ben Lalague

Jose Castejoon

Natasha Walker

India Latham

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5. For Sale: Intimacy and Infamy

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